The Worlds Collide: Birth of Darkness
by Cranberry Knight-XIII
Summary: After the fall of Cocoon, events in the Timeline create a Paradox that opens up the world to Valhalla, and drags Lightning down with the Chaos. Etro sends her on a mission to find Cloud Strife, the only one who can help her escape her fate. Cloud's POV


**AUTHOR'S NOTE (would be helpful to read if you want to know more about the FF13 Vs. AC stuff goin' on): **All right, this chapter is quite refreshing to write actually. Instead of just using this as the first chapter to _Worlds Collide_, I might also use it for another upcoming story that involves Lightning in KH's Halloween Town!

**Attention-Please read, FF13 Vs. AC fans: **This is the new FF13 Vs. AC, so you can either review on this story or the other. I will keep the other one posted, but with a link to this new story. Hope you guys enjoy!

Now that _Final Fantasy XIII Versus Advent Children _is "tossed" (this is the new FF13 Vs. AC), this new and improved story builds on what I wrote before, and makes this tale even more epic than ever. Now that FF13-2 is out in Japan, I've been watching and thoroughly scanning all pictures, locales, music, and live streams to get the feel of this game…and I can already tell it's going to outshine FF13 like Eden. Get it?

Anyways, I followed most of the dialogue that was spoken from the game – wouldn't want to change it anyways. As always, tell me what you think by comment, subscriptions, favoriting, REVIEWING for goodness' sake, or just giving me a bunch of views. I love reviews, you guys know that, so even if it's just as simple as a "nice" or "excellent", that kind of makes my day.

Any suggestions as to what I should change from FF13 Vs. AC, advice, grammar and spelling corrections, are very much welcome!

Write on,

**WriteFF13 **

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><p><span>Worlds Collide <span>

Chapter 1: A New Crystal Legend

_Wake up. _

From the edges of her soul, minute warmth gathered. Deep in dreamy darkness she was, lost in a sea of nothingness and sleepy thoughts. At the edges of her mind, a strange pulling sensation arose, nudging her. Gradually, feeling spread through her, starting from her feet to the top of her head. The smooth crystal shone briefly in the setting sun, until with a jolt it dissipated and was swept away on the wind, revealing a returning soul to life.

Cool air met her face in a gust, filling her nostrils with the scent of dirt and grass. Lightning couldn't remember a smell that could be more welcome.

Her eyes fluttered open, perfect eyelashes giving way to a familiar landscape of dirt and plentiful grass that stretched as far as she could see. Her breath came in a shuddering gasp, as if breaking the surface of water after being tethered in its watery depths. The young soldier's crystalline eyes flitted from the world and down to her hands. Her eyes widened as she stared at her normal GC uniform. It was all there: navy blue gloves, red leather pack strapped to her thigh, and even her zirconium lightning pendent. She lifted her hands, testing the strength in them and making a fist. The cool leather encasing her hand stretched slightly, the sun reflecting off of the golden bullet cases on the back of the glove.

As the sun shifted, a looming shadow slightly shaded the ground. The pink-haired l'Cie lifted her eyes and whipped around, and sucked in a breath, shocked.

A giant crystal structure towered over the Pulsian world like a sentry at his post. Complex swirls and jabs of crystal jutted smoothly and sometimes irregularly on the surface. Wisps of impossibly thin crystal swirls flowed together to create a sold covering of the entire planet, but left a gaping opening. In the middle of it all, Lightning saw, was the now non-existant light that was once Eden. The crystal spiraled into a thick pillar that connected Cocoon to Pulse.

There was commotion at the base of the crystallized Cocoon, but Lightning didn't notice. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Cocoon…was gone. Just minutes, or was it hours, maybe even days ago?, it seemed as if all hope was lost as she floated upwards into the air, surrounded by flurries of crystal, looking sorrowfully down at Vanille and Fang as the two embraced their fate.

"They did it," Lightning breathed, "they saved the world."

A slight swish of grass sounded behind her. "No, they gave us a new one."

Lightning turned slightly to see Snow, Sazh, and Hope walk up, also staring at the crystal sculpture in awe. Lightning's eyes flicked from Snow to Sazh, then stopped to rest on Hope. The fourteen-year-old was clenching his fists tightly, and looking behind him nervously. When he finally turned around again after a few seconds, he jumped when he realized Lightning or "Light" was staring at him. She gave a small nod, but the boy didn't relax. Lightning turned her attention away to gaze at Cocoon.

Sazh sighed. "That's one gift I'll forgive 'em for not wrapping," he said, crossing his arms.

A small laugh escaped Hope's lips. "Yeah."

_This is as much as we can do. The rest is up to you._

The four former l'Cie cast their eyes to the hundreds of people crowding and stumbling along at the base of the crystal pillar. Several Guardian Corps and PSICOM soldiers were guiding citizens along as they whimpered and gaped.

"So…does this mean we completed our Focus?" Hope wondered aloud, vocalizing the question they all had.

"Cocoon's seen better days, that's for sure."

Sazh looked up at Cocoon again, the structure reflecting in his dark eyes. "I'd say that qualifies as a demolition: Focus complete."

_Huh. Whatever you want to believe._

Lightning cocked her head. "It really is a miracle…"

"My brand!" Hope exclaimed suddenly. The others whipped around. "It's gone!"

All of their hearts stopped. Then, Sazh looked down, and was astonished to see just dark skin, no ugly l'Cie tattoo, nor eerie red dot…

Snow glanced at his arm, his lips breaking into a wide grin. Sazh threw up his arms as Hope smiled. Finally, after their endless journey, the brands were gone. Lightning looked down at her uniform, laying a hand over where her brand used to be. She could just _tell _the brand wasn't there anymore. The dark feeling was gone, that feeling she used to get that made her feel as if her time was running short.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lightning noticed Snow looking at her, or rather, Snow looking past her. At first his face displayed pure disbelief, but then it morphed into the most happy expression Lightning had ever seen.

"_Serah!" _he shouted, taking off at a dead sprint. Lightning, Sazh, and Hope turned to face the horizon, blinded by light. Lightning shaded her eyes from the setting sun with a hand, and her eyes widened. Still quite a ways away, a tall, thin figure was strolling along next to a small boy with a dark afro, much like Sazh's.

The tall figure hadn't seen or heard Snow, and their attention was focused on the little boy.

"Yeah," the little boy exclaimed, "an-an, there was a big bunch a chocobos!"

"There was?"

"Y-yeah!"

"Hey, look over there."

Suddenly, the tall figure's facial features came into view, and Lightning's heartbeat skipped when she saw who it is. Her pink hair swaying slightly in the breeze, heels leaving a slight imprint in the soft ground, bracelet slightly jingling, Serah Farron was alive.

"Serah!" Snow exclaimed, wrapping Serah up in a huge hug and twirled her around, causing the younger Farron to lose her balance. She laughed and threw her arms around him.

"It is," the soldier breathed, her lips breaking into a very small (and rare) smile.

Sazh ran up to his little boy and cradled him to his chest, patting him to check for injuries. "Dajh! Are you okay?" Dajh's only reply was a muffled "Yeah, Daddy!" as his face was buried in his father's shoulder. A burst of happiness came from Sazh in the form of laughter, and soon, Dajh was giggling along with him.

From behind Lightning came Hope's voice: "They're really gone, aren't they?"

"Hey."

Lightning smiled slightly and put a reassuring hand in his shoulder. Just the fact that he knew she would be there to help him "go through this ordeal" made him feel so much better. "I guess they really meant for this to be 'good-bye'. Then again," he said, picking his head up, "we've changed our fates before."

Before he could say much else, though, Serah and Snow had appeared. Snow released Serah's hand. The two Farrons stared at each other for a second, then the youngest Farron stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Lightning, willing herself not to cry. At last she was with her sister again! And smiling! Lightning gently rubbed her back.

"Serah," he older Farron whispered, "I'm sorry."

Serah smiled and withdrew from the embrace, looking deep into Claire's mysterious irises. "It's okay"

Lightning opened her mouth to say something else, but Serah was suddenly jerked from her, and a firm hand gripped her shoulder. "Hey, no apologies now! We've got a wedding to plan!"

Lightning shook her head and laughed. He never gave up, did he?

"You don't waste a lot of time, do you?" Hope teased.

Snow laughed. For now, it seemed as if he had all the time in the world. "No I don't!"

"That's right, just charge in, guns blazin'." Sazh hefted Dajh onto his shoulders, where the boy could play with the chocobo chick.

Everything…was perfect.

"I swear, I _will _make her happy," Snow pledged.

Normal. Nothing could go wrong.

"I believe you."

The struggles were over, the final battles fought. And in the end, those battles are just a passing thing. Because even when you know, in those final battles, that there's a small chance of surviving, you still latch onto that chance, refusing to let go, fighting for your freedom. And that courage and bravery drove you on, giving you strength to fight.

"Congrats."

Because sometimes that small chance could save a planet.

_When prayers turn to promises, not even fate can stand in their way. _

_We held the light of hope in our hearts, and achieved the impossible. _

_Now we live on, to greet the new dawn._

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><p>.:END OF CHAPTER 1:.<p>

_~To be continued~ _

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><p><strong>AUTHOR'S 2<strong>**nd**** NOTE: **So…did you like it? Tell me what you think, guys! I don't know what it is, but I don't get many reviews any more, besides **nie261**'s awesome four or five reviews that she submitted in 30 minutes. Glad you like the story, by the way!

I am now on episode 230 of _Bleach_. The fillers rather tick me off a bit sometimes, but that beach one was hilarious! When Byakuya was building the Seaweed Ambassador, I nearly died. And Rukia's +_+ look...or more like O_o. Can't wait for the showdown between Ulquiorra and Ichigo!

Write on,

**WriteFF13**


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